No time for reflections...just cute pictures!

So, my computer/internet at home is dying and I am having MAJOR withdrawals!! I had to come up to Dawson's office finally to post this entry. I don't have a lot of time, so I can't share any of our funny, yet heart warming stories :), but I do want to share some cute recent pictures really quick.


This is Batgirl and Sir Caleb at their cousin, Sawyer's, birthday party! So cute!


Ellie thoroughly enjoyed Sawyer's birthday cake! :)


I love our family!! This was everyone chillin' at Sawyer's fun birthday party.


Caleb finished tee-ball. He loved it! We were so proud of him! (Notice the big boy haircut! Gone is the cute, whiteboy fro--and all those curls! It broke my heart!)

We went to Galveston with our extended family last weekend. It was soo much fun, even in spite of the jelly fish stings that Dawson and Ellie encountered (as well as Aunt Leah and Uncle Clint):) Good times!


The Galveston Gangstas--they are so cool!


How Adelyn spent most of her time at the beach....so peaceful :)


Daddy and his beach beauty


Officer Caleb and Officer Ellie at the "big rig" at the library



Adelyn is getting so big so fast....and so girlie! :)


So long for now.....hoping to get back on-line soon!!

What kind of job is this?

(Sorry if this is boring, but I wanted to write this down, so I would remember it)
There were several times today that thoughts like "What did I get myself into?" came rumbling through my mind. One of those times was when I realized that it was 3:30pm, and my children and I were all still in our pajamas. Was this a good sign or a bad sign?!? However, as I realized the 4 o'clock hour was approaching, we all quickly got dressed and brushed our teeth so we could make it to "Happy Hour" at Sonic, and then run by the Post Office. But in the midst of getting 'ready' for this exciting excursion, the baby starting crying and screaming. So, I put Adelyn in her carseat and told the other two to 'jump in quick'. I then proceeded to drive my pimp-mobile Mini-van round and round the cul-de-sac, while Caleb and Ellie finished getting dressed and buckled up. Seriously--I drove around and around in circles in our little cul-de-sac, because I had to get the baby to stop screaming and fall asleep, and I couldn't got out on the real street because the other two weren't even buckled yet. Thankfully, all the passengers thought it was cool. Caleb and Ellie thought it was like a carnival ride, and Adelyn quickly quieted down and fell asleep. Again, I thought... my life has gone crazy--I'm not brushing my teeth until almost 4:00pm, and then it's only because I have to interact with the Sonic guy when I pay for my diet Coke. And there I was, driving around like a lunatic in the cul-de-sac (with a neighbor that happens to be a policeman). What kind of life is this??

But, at the end of the day, I was reminded of the answer to my question. Tonight, Ellie had gotten in trouble with her Daddy for playing in her pudding, so she started crying as she walked to her bed. We all followed her into her and Caleb's room for prayers, but then Caleb said he needed to go to the back yard for something, and he wanted me to come with him. He whispered, "I want to get Ellie a flower." When we didn't find one in the back yard, I just told him to grab one from our pathetic flower bed. Then, he walked into their room, hiding it behind his back, and he told Ellie to close her eyes and stick out her hands. Immediately, she stopped crying and her eyes lit up at the idea of a surprise. She quickly obeyed her brother, and then he placed the flower in her hands. I was a little nervous that she might not appreciate his offering, since it wasn't candy or associated with a Disney princess, but when she opened her eyes, she gasped and said, "Oh Bubba, it's bootful". You would've thought he had handed her the keys to Cinderella's castle! She loved it, and he just beamed with pride. I was reminded of how incredibly GREAT my "job" is and how blessed I am to be with my children every day. What a privilege!

Random Reflections and good pictures

This past week has been a week of reflection. So, I've had lots of random thoughts....

1. I love blogging. It's like being in therapy, or having an imaginary friend to talk to at odd hours of the night--which seem like the only hours I have for friends now, or pretending to be a writer/journalist, or just memorializing your family's life.

2. Having friends and maintaining friendships is a hard thing to do as a mother of young children, which is so ironic, because I feel like I need friends in my life now more than ever.

3. Sometimes it is great when you don't have a lot of money, because you can't help but realize how richly blessed you are with more important things--like children, family, and faith.

4. I love being married and being a part of two different extended families (really four 'extended' families). It has exposed me to so many different ways of life, and allows me to be related to a lot of wonderful people.

5. I love nursing my babies, and what a priceless and precious connection it creates with them.

6. Nursing babies is such a hard job, and sometimes it sucks! (no pun intended :)

7. This next week is a HUGELY monumental one in our Skow lives: I register my firstborn--my baby boy--for Kindergarten tomorrow. Then he will be baptized on Wednesday by his Daddy. Then we will dedicate our sweet, little baby Adelyn to the Lord and His ways on Mother's Day. Wow! Big week!!

8. God answered some major prayers for us these past few days. He provided His peace throughout a very emotional, and potentially tense, time for Dawson's family. He also gave strength to those who needed it, and joy during a time a sorrow. Thank you, Father.

9. And Final....I want to become the best version of myself. I think I've decided that I want to stop trying to "be like" other people--like have 'her' legs, or 'her' clean house, or 'her' cute hair, etc. I just want to allow God to change me to become my best self, physically, mentally, and most importantly, spiritually. Now that I've realized this, all that's left is the hard work, discipline and total surrendering to God. Geat--No problem! :)

Now for some random pictures.....

Laying in bed for story time before naps--a daily part of our routine I should remember not to take for granted


My sweet husband, leading a Skow/Leftwich/Paul family sing-a-long, part of celebrating Pawpaw's legacy


Granny and just some of the family that were enjoying the good songs, the great conversation and the healing laughter


Ellie, with one of her cousins (and current heroes) Look how happy she looks, because she's getting attention from one of the 'big girls'!


Caleb's response to "give me your 'handsome face'"

A Life Worth Remembering

Dawson's grandfather, his "Pawpaw", went home to be with Jesus last night. We are mourning our loss, but celebrating his victory. Bill Leftwich was truly an incredible and extraordinary man. He was an artist, an author, a carpenter, a true cowboy, a veteran of WWII (he was actually a tank commander on the German frontlines and full of unbelievable stories), a public speaker, a mesmerizing storyteller, a devoted Aggie, an even more devoted Christian, a man who dearly loved his family and so, so many other things. He is one of those people that you feel privileged to have known. And I did not just know him, I got to be related to him. He touched my life in many ways, and shaped our family. The world is now a dimmer place without his bright, shining light.

Enjoying Life

Dawson is back to work today, and our week of vacation with him is officially over. I'm sad that it had to end, but the week was full of fun family times. The highlights were our picnic at Somerville, play times with friends at the park, a trip to the zoo in Ft. Worth, an AMAZING dinner at the Lightcatcher Winery for Leah's (sis-in-law) birthday and then just spending time with Dawson's family in Ft. Worth. Here are some pictures from our fun times....

Some cute kids at the zoo--all saying "cheese" :)


My beautiful girl


Daddy holding Adelyn--I'm sure she loved her first visit to the zoo


Our sweet family--celebrating Leah with yummy food and good family time!

Fun in the Spring

There's nothing momentous to report. We are just chugging along, trying to stay sane. Caleb has started playing tee-ball, and we all have fun at his little games. Ellie is continuing to take her role as big sister very seriously, and insists on loving on her 'baby sisser' all day long. And Adelyn is doing well and getting fatter. She slept for 7 hours in a row on Easter night. It was our own Easter miracle, and a gift from God to me. Still hoping for a repeat performance! Dawson has been busy with church stuff, but he is taking a week of vacation next week!! I can't wait for all FIVE of us to spend some time together!
Here are some recent pictures of our fun times....

Their bountiful baskets from the egg hunt at Memaw and Pawpaw's house


Adelyn's first Easter--her only contact with the eggs this year!


My Dad with his gran-girls :)


Devil Ray #12--Ready to Rock!

The difference between #1 and #3

Birth order is a somewhat interesting topic to me. I haven't read any books on it or anything (for the most part, I don't read books on parenting or kids, I just wait for my best friend, Missy, to read them, and then give me the highlights :), but I have had several conversations with other moms about it. I don't know if I buy into the concept that your birth order defines your personality, but I can definitely see the differences in my parenting and/or caretaking of my three children.
Examples--sad, but true:
1-When Caleb was a baby, we gave him a bath almost everyday. Adelyn is lucky to get a bath once a week!
2-Also, when Caleb was a baby, I took a picture of him with every new outfit he wore. With Adelyn, I have to try to remember to take pictures of her.
3-With Caleb, I boiled everything that went into his mouth. With Adelyn, I lick everything that goes in hers, and call it good.
4-With Caleb, I was deathly afraid of blankets. I always thought blankets would somehow jump on his face and suffocate him. Adelyn safely sleeps with blankets...the kind that can't jump.
5- With Caleb, I listened to everyone's advice and tried almost every suggestion. With Adelyn, I figure out what works for us and stick to that.
6-When I nursed Caleb, I was keenly aware of my boob sticking out, and did not feel comfortable doing it most places. With Adelyn, I could care less about my boob sticking out, and I just try to not offend anybody with it.
7-Also, when I nursed Caleb, I got out of bed for every nighttime feeding, and sat on the couch while I nursed him. With Adelyn, I put her into bed with me, for at least half of her nighttime feedings, and fall asleep while doing it.
8-When Caleb was a baby, I was sleep deprived, even though I got to nap with him sometimes during the day. Now, with Adelyn, I am beyond sleep deprived, and NAPS? What are those?? :)
9-When Caleb was a baby, I would hold him for hours, and I would sometimes set him in his swing or his bouncy chair just for his own stimulation, or because I needed to cook a quick meal. With Adelyn, that poor baby practically lives in her swing and bouncy chair. I have to deliberately make time to just sit down and hold her.
10-When Caleb was a newborn, I kept wishing for him to get a little older, so he would sleep more, communicate more, etc. With Adelyn, I recognize how incredibly fast their little lives go by, and I keep wishing that she would stay a 'newborn' for as long as possible.

So many differences. Sometimes I feel like each one of my kids has a different mother. Oh well! As long as they all three have the same Almighty God that can protect and provide for them, despite their mother's deficiencies, then I think they'll turn out alright. :)

Some recent photos...

My girls with their Nonny--they love her!!


Babes in Bluebonnets


Daddy and Addie just chillin'


My adorable little tee-baller